Democrats and Farrell Consider Her Next Move

By FRAN SILVERMAN

Published: November 14, 2004

ON the night of her congressional defeat in the Fourth District to the incumbent Republican Christopher Shays, Diane Farrell was handed a hat from a supporter bearing a forecast: Diane '06, it said.

Indeed, if there was every a candidate who didn't lose for losing, it is Mrs. Farrell, who ran a close and contentious race against Mr. Shays, raising more than $1 million and garnering national support and attention. Mrs. Farrell, 49, the first Democratic selectwoman of Westport, said in an interview that she was already considering her next move, and members of both political parties said she will certainly be a contender.

''She impressed everybody,'' said George C. Jepsen, chairman of the Democratic State Central Committee. ''She positioned herself extremely well for any of several possible openings, for running once again for Congress or on a statewide ticket. The sky's the limit.''

Emily's List, a national political action committee in Washington that supports female Democratic candidates who favor abortion rights, gave Mrs. Farrell more than $100,000.

''She's one of our rising stars,'' said Karen White, national political director of the group.

In Mrs. Farrell's office at Town Hall, fresh from a weekend rest in Vermont after her defeat, she was anything but beaten.

''I don't feel badly,'' she said. ''I don't feel rejected. I went from a standing start to 90 percent name recognition. To get 48 percent of the vote, I really feel I can walk into any community and feel the support.

''My biggest challenge now is how I can be helpful to our urban centers,'' she said. ''I didn't just run to see if I could win, I ran because I wanted to make a contribution.''

If she sounds like a candidate still running for office, she is, said her supporters. Her biggest challenge is deciding in which direction to go. One path could lead to Hartford, the other to Washington if she engages in a second battle against Mr. Shays.

Pete Wolgast, the Westport Republican town chairman, said Mrs. Farrell gained a lot of political capital from the race.

''She ingratiated herself with state Democratic leadership by agreeing to run when it was a difficult race and she was not likely to win,'' he said. ''I think she is more likely to be chosen by Democrats for a future position, whether it be for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, one of those statewide offices.''

Mrs. Farrell said she will be consulting with party leaders over the next few weeks for advice and counsel.

''I love public life,'' she said. ''I love campaigning. I will think about what is a good fit.''

Mrs. Farrell lost to Mr. Shays by about 14,000 votes, winning Stamford, Norwalk and Mr. Shays's home city, Bridgeport. She lost all the towns except for Westport, where she had a 302-vote margin. In 2002, Mr. Shays carried 16 of the district's 17 cities and towns, losing only Bridgeport.

In his victory speech, Mr. Shays, who won 52 percent of the vote to Mrs. Farrell's 48 percent, credited her as a candidate with a bright political future that he hoped would not be at his expense.

Her list of contacts is formidable. United State Senators Christopher J. Dodd and Joseph I. Lieberman, the House Democratic minority leader Nancy Pelosi, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, former Gov. Ann Richards of Texas and State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal all campaigned for Mrs. Farrell.

State and national party leaders say Mrs. Farrell is a smart, energetic, articulate candidate who proved she has the ability to raise money and take on a popular incumbent.

During her campaign against Mr. Shays, Mrs. Farrell was one of about a dozencandidates nationwide who drew financial support from Emily's List and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Officials at both groups said they'd like to see Mrs. Farrell run against Mr. Shays in 2006.

National Democratic leaders pointed to several races where incumbents were unseated after a second run by an aggressive candidate, including Democrat James H. Maloney, who beat the Republican incumbent Gary A. Franks in the state's Fifth Congressional District on his second run for the seat in 1996. In Illinois on Election Day, Democrat Melissa Bean unseated incumbent Philip M. Crane on her second run.

''We have had great success with candidates who have given it a second try and we very much see the results of this election trending along those same lines,'' said Stacy Kerr, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Then there's the other road: a state spot. Both Republicans and Democrats said there were a number of scenarios Mrs. Farrell could consider as the governor's race begins in earnest.

With sources close to Mr. Dodd saying he was not ruling out a run for governor, some observers said Mrs. Farrell would be a viable choice as his lieutenant governor. Mrs. Farrell, who Mr. Dodd has mentored, could balance the ticket as a representative from Fairfield County and he from East Haddam.

''Diane ran a great campaign,'' Mr. Dodd said in a statement this past week. ''She was energetic and tenacious in her efforts to focus on the core issues that people care about. I fully expect to see her remain engaged in public service, and her loss shouldn't be considered an ending but a start.''